How the 50-50 Senate limits Democratic ambitions

WASHINGTON — The worst-kept secret in Washington is that President Biden’s $1.9 trillion Covid-19 reduction package deal stays on monitor for passage, and that Republicans have been unable to discover a profitable message in opposition to it.

At the least to date.

The opposite poorly-kept secret is that anyone Senate Democrat has the flexibility to torpedo a Biden coverage proposal or nominee — like when Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., introduced Friday that he wasn’t supporting Biden OMB choose Neera Tanden. (And this morning, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, additionally mentioned she was opposing Tanden.)

That’s the basic actuality of the Democratic-controlled (barely) 50-50 Senate.

The place there’s one hundred pc Democratic consensus — on pandemic reduction, on nominees, perhaps infrastructure, perhaps modest Obamacare fixes — Senate Democrats will normally have the votes for passage.

Particularly once they can keep away from a GOP filibuster (like when utilizing funds reconciliation).

However when there’s not one hundred pc Democratic consensus — on Tanden or a $15-per hour minimal wage — Democrats received’t have the votes.

It’s actually that easy.

Repeating the “Massive Lie”

Right here’s one other easy political actuality to recollect: Joe Biden received November’s presidential election.

Truthful and sq. — with no situations of widespread voter fraud.

However Republicans are nonetheless having a tough time admitting that actuality.

Right here was Home Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., on Sunday:

ABC: “I requested you, is [Biden] the reliable president of the US, and do you concede that this election was not stolen? Quite simple query. Please simply reply it.”

Scalise: “Look, as soon as the electors are counted, sure, he is the reliable president. But when you are going to ignore the very fact that there have been states that didn’t observe their very own state legislatively set legal guidelines, that is the problem at coronary heart, that hundreds of thousands of individuals nonetheless usually are not proud of and do not need to see occur once more.”

And simply take a look at a number of the panel discussions on the upcoming CPAC confab, which begins later this week:

“Defending Elections Half 2: Different Culprits: Why Judges & Media Refused to Have a look at the Proof.”

“Defending Elections Half 3: The Left Pulled the Strings, Lined It Up, and Even Admits It.”

“Did Your Vote Depend? Ask the Consultants.”

It’s all advancing the untruth that the 2020 election wasn’t truthful and sq..

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Knowledge Obtain: The numbers it is advisable to know at present

28,223,342: The variety of confirmed instances of coronavirus in the US, per the newest knowledge from NBC Information and well being officers. (That’s 204,518 greater than Friday morning.)

501,092: The variety of deaths in the US from the virus to date, per the newest knowledge from NBC Information. (That’s 5,800 greater than Friday morning.)

56,159: The variety of folks at the moment hospitalized with coronavirus in the US.

344.4 million: The variety of coronavirus assessments which have been administered in the US to date, in accordance with researchers at The COVID Monitoring Undertaking.

63,090,634: Variety of vaccine doses administered within the U.S.

18,865,319: Individuals totally vaccinated within the U.S.

66: The variety of days left for Biden to succeed in his 100-day vaccination aim.

About 10 million: The variety of Texans with out entry to protected ingesting water.

3.5 million: What number of bottles of water have been distributed within the state to date.

Greater than $1.3 billion: The damages sought by Dominion Voting Techniques within the firm’s defamation go well with in opposition to MyPillow’s Mike Lindell.

Biden’s day

At 12:05 p.m. ET, President Biden makes an announcement on small enterprise. At 6:00 p.m. ET, he delivers remarks on the lives misplaced because of the coronavirus, and he participates in a candle-lighting ceremony. White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds her briefing at 12:30 p.m. ET, whereas the White Home’s Covid crew talks to reporters at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Merrick Garland lastly will get his listening to

President Biden’s choose for lawyer basic, Merrick Garland, will testify at present in entrance of the Senate Judiciary Committee. And based mostly on excerpts from his opening assertion launched over the weekend, Garland will stress the Division of Justice’s civil rights file.

“Celebrating DOJ’s a hundred and fiftieth yr reminds us of the origins of the Division, which was based throughout Reconstruction, within the aftermath of the Civil Struggle, to safe the civil rights promised by the thirteenth, 14th and fifteenth Amendments. The primary Legal professional Common appointed by President Grant to move the brand new Division led it in a concerted battle to guard black voting rights from the violence of white supremacists, efficiently prosecuting tons of of instances in opposition to members of the Ku Klux Klan,” Garland is slated to say.

He’ll add, “150 years after the Division’s founding, battling extremist assaults on our democratic establishments additionally stays central to its mission.”

Whereas Garland’s affirmation isn’t really unsure, NBC’s Pete Williams and Julia Ainsley report that Garland will face powerful questions relating to investigations of Biden’s son and former President Trump’s actions.

MTP Compressed

Miss “Meet the Press” on Sunday? You’ll be able to catch up right here. Dr. Anthony Fauci and American Federation of Academics President Randi Weingarten mentioned the continued coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide battle to reopen faculties. Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) talked about how the ability disaster in his dwelling state has put small authorities ideas within the highlight amidst the Republican Get together’s battle to outline itself within the post-Trump period.

ICYMI: What else is going on on the planet

Joe Biden is upending the Trump administration’s method to vaccinations.

Biden will announce adjustments to the PPP program geared toward higher aiding small and minority-owned companies.

A brand new forecast from the Bureau of Labor Statistics tasks powerful occasions forward for these in occupations that require the bottom ranges of training.

Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson mentioned he received’t again Trump in 2024.

Trump is anticipated to talk at CPAC on February 28.

The impeachment effort could also be over, however the authorized push to carry Trump and different officers accountable for false claims of election fraud goes sturdy. (And federal authorities are additionally trying into figures like Roger Stone and Alex Jones for his or her position within the Jan. 6 riot.)

The fallout from the winter storm in Texas continues, with anger growing towards Gov. Greg Abbott.

A former Trump aide is ramping up for a main problem to Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who voted for Trump’s impeachment.